Operation in an immersive virtual environment

Abstract

It is provided a computer-implemented method of three-dimensional design in an immersive virtual environment. The method comprises the steps of determining a position of an instantiation of a physical designer in the virtual environment; instantiating an object via an interaction of the instantiation of the physical designer with a stocking zone attached to its position, the interaction being controlled by a body configuration of the physical designer; and performing a design operation with the object. Such a method improves the design of an object.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. Computer-implemented method of three-dimensional design in an immersive virtual environment, wherein the method comprises the steps of:
 determining a position of an instantiation of a physical designer in the virtual environment; 
 instantiating an object via an interaction of the instantiation of the physical designer with a stocking zone attached to the position of the instantiation of the physical designer, the object being one of a plurality of objects, the stocking zone being a virtual space within the virtual environment that contains the plurality of objects, the stocking zone being transported with the instantiation of the physical designer as the instantiation of the physical designer moves through the virtual environment, and the interaction being controlled by a body configuration of the physical designer; and 
 performing a design operation with the object instantiated from the stocking zone. 
 
     
     
       2. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the method further comprises determining an orientation of the instantiation of the physical designer in the virtual environment, the stocking zone being further attached to the orientation of the instantiation of the physical designer. 
     
     
       3. The method of  claim 2 , wherein the orientation of the instantiation of the physical designer is controlled by the orientation of the physical designer. 
     
     
       4. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the method further comprises:
 moving the instantiation of the physical designer in the virtual environment toward another object instantiated in the virtual environment; and 
 associating the other object with the stocking zone via an interaction of the instantiation of the physical designer, the interaction being body controlled by the physical designer. 
 
     
     
       5. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the body configuration is a static position or a dynamic gesture. 
     
     
       6. The method of  claim 5 , wherein the body configuration is the dynamic gesture of drawing the object out of a virtual container. 
     
     
       7. A computer program product comprising: a non-transitory data storage medium and instructions carried on the storage medium for implementing three-dimensional design in an immersive virtual environment, wherein the instructions cause one or more computer processors to:
 determine a position of an instantiation of a physical designer in the virtual environment; 
 instantiate an object via an interaction of the instantiation of the physical designer with a stocking zone attached to the position of the instantiation of the physical designer, the object being one of a plurality of objects, the stocking zone being a virtual space within the virtual environment that contains the plurality of objects, the stocking zone being transported with the instantiation of the physical designer as the instantiation of the physical designer moves through the virtual environment, and the interaction being controlled by a body configuration of the physical designer; and 
 perform a design operation with the object instantiated from the stocking zone. 
 
     
     
       8. A CAD system comprising:
 a virtual immersion interface; and 
 a processor coupled to memory, the memory having recorded thereon a computer program comprising instructions for performing three-dimensional design in an immersive virtual environment-by: 
 determining a position of an instantiation of a physical designer in the virtual environment; 
 instantiating an object via an interaction of the instantiation of the physical designer with a stocking zone attached to the position of the instantiation of the physical designer, the object being one of a plurality of objects, the stocking zone being a virtual space within the virtual environment that contains the plurality of objects, the stocking zone being transported with the instantiation of the physical designer as the instantiation of the physical designer moves through the virtual environment, and the interaction being controlled by a body configuration of the physical designer; and 
 performing a design operation with the object instantiated from the stocking zone. 
 
     
     
       9. A computer-implemented method for designing a three-dimensional object representing a product by instantiation of a physical designer in an immersive virtual environment and through interaction of the instantiation of the physical designer with the virtual environment, the method comprising:
 determining a position of the instantiation of a physical designer in the virtual environment, wherein a stocking zone is attached to the position of the instantiation of the physical designer and is moved along with the instantiation of the physical designer as the instantiation of the physical designer moves in the virtual environment; 
 as the instantiation of the physical designer encounters a plurality of objects in the virtual environment, the plurality of objects including a part to be assembled in the design of the product or a tool to be used in designing the product, associating the respective object with the stocking zone via an interaction of the instantiation of the physical designer, the interaction being controlled by a body configuration of the physical designer; 
 instantiating any one of the plurality of objects via an interaction of the instantiation of the physical designer with the stocking zone, the interaction being controlled by a body configuration of the physical designer; and 
 performing a design operation on at least a portion of the product with the object instantiated from the stocking zone.